Root Down captures the king of the Hammond B3 organ, Jimmy Smith, playing down and dirty R&B. It isn't that Smith had forgotten that he was one of the jazz greats for this 1972 live concert, but with an LA rhythm section, there is definitely a groove here. A damn funky groove, at that. The album includes two versions (one previously unissued) of Smith's "Root Down," a song covered by the Beastie Boys in 1994. There is also a hypnotic reading of Al Green's pleading "Let's Stay Together," which yet again proves that Jimmy Smith is a man with a lot of soul. But it is when he ups the pace that the album really comes alive, such as on his "Slow Down Sagg," released here in its entirety for the first time. With Arthur Adams accompanying on fat-back guitar, its raw funk would impress James Brown. With Root Down, dancing shoes are essential. --Phil Brett
Root Down,Jimmy Smith,Polygram Records,Hard Bop,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Soul-Jazz
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Root Down
Jimmy Smith Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004UAQS Release Date: 2000-07-18 |
Tracks:
- Sagg Shootin' His Arrow
- For Everyone Under The Sun
- After Hours
- Root Down (And Get It)
- Let's Stay Together
- Slow Down Sagg
- Root Down (And Get It)
Amazon.com
Root Down captures the king of the Hammond B3 organ, Jimmy Smith, playing down and dirty R&B. It isn't that Smith had forgotten that he was one of the jazz greats for this 1972 live concert, but with an LA rhythm section, there is definitely a groove here. A damn funky groove, at that. The album includes two versions (one previously unissued) of Smith's "Root Down," a song covered by the Beastie Boys in 1994. There is also a hypnotic reading of Al Green's pleading "Let's Stay Together," which yet again proves that Jimmy Smith is a man with a lot of soul. But it is when he ups the pace that the album really comes alive, such as on his "Slow Down Sagg," released here in its entirety for the first time. With Arthur Adams accompanying on fat-back guitar, its raw funk would impress James Brown. With Root Down, dancing shoes are essential. --Phil BrettCustomer Reviews:
Beastie Boys fans need to check out the Original, the Incredible... Jimmy Smith!.......2007-04-05
I love the Beastie Boys album, "The In Sound From Way Out!" and that is why I bought "Root Down". I know, that is backwards, but whatever, I now own the album and will cherish it forever.
All you jazz only fans need to buy that Beasties Boys album, you will not be sorry you did!
Good for its Genre.......2006-05-18
Funkus extremus.......2006-05-04
I have had this album for awhile and was saddened to hear that Mr. Smith died in Feb 2005. RIP. The soul has left the earthly container, but I suspect this music will stand the test of time. Thirty four years later, it sounds incredibly fresh.
It is one of those albums that you can have for 10 years, not listen to it for 3 months, put it in and be like "nice." Though I don't think I have gone more than a month.
Highly recommended.
The art of acid funk organ.......2006-04-14
Pure Fun.......2005-02-12
Interesting enough this record is something of an oddity for Smith. It is the only album I know of where he's being backed by a bass player. Smith usually plays bass himself on the organ and thinks of bassplayers as being too much of a good thing. Maybe the presence of the bassplayer is what makes this album so much more alive as your average Jimmy Smith album. Although Jimmy Smith is an excellent organplayer his albums had just one weakness, uniformity. Root Down is a rare Smith item in the fact that it doesn't really repeats a formula. As a result of that it was one of his more dynamic albums in years, maybe his whole carreer.
Two tracks on the album require special attention. The title track Rootdown is a bonafide funk classic. The Beastie Boys later lifted the entire intro for their version of the song. And then there is After Hours. A fine and sexy blues that manages to move time after time.
Enjoy.
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Root Down
Beastie Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002TXO Release Date: 1995-05-23 |
Tracks:
- Root Down (Free Zone Mix)
- Root Down (LP)
- Root Down (PP Balloon Mix)
- Time To Get Ill
- Heart Attack Man
- The Maestro
- Sabrosa
- Flute Loop
- Time For Livin'
- Something's Got To Give
Amazon.com essential recording
Between the making of Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head, the Beastie Boys checked into a rehearsal space and relearned how to make an album. Their new technique involved lots of extended jamming and experimentation, both of which are evident on the two previously unreleased versions of "Root Down" (and either of which could have substituted for the original version with no loss of quality). The rest of this mini-album was recorded live in Europe and shows the Boys in fine form, rocking early tracks with a funky new flow ("Time to Get Ill") as well as showing that they could pull off both their back-to-punk guitar-rock and their new-groove funk sounds onstage. --Randy SilverCustomer Reviews:
not worth 11.99, but pretty good.......2006-10-27
FedEx Ground.......2006-04-20
Beasties Live.......2003-08-13
Riding on the giant wave of success that emanated from Ill Communication, the Beastie Boys came back in 95' and put this EP together, consisting of the studio version of Root Down, and nine other tracks performed live in Europe. Overall the cd is pretty strong, offering such rocking live tracks as Heart Attack Man and Time For Livin', and excellent hip-hop tracks like Flute Loop and all versions of Root Down. The last track, Something's Got to Give, is an awesome closer- really spaced out and jamming. All in all, this album is definitely worth buying for casual or diehard Beastie Boys fans.
A couple of great remixes.......2002-06-14
Lot more than just Root Down- Awesome CD.......2002-04-11
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Presents Sound Crush at the Root Down
Thes One Manufacturer: Pony Canyon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0001W8IVA Release Date: 2004-06-08 |
Album Description
Japan exclusive release for the acclaimed underground hip hop producer. P-Vine. 2004.Album Details
Japan only live recording.
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George Frideric Handel: Esther
Manufacturer: CORO ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0001B0A94 Release Date: 2004-06-01 |
Tracks:
- Overture Andante - Larghetito - Allegro
- Recitative Habdonah/Haman: " 'Tis greater far to spare"
- Aria Haman: " Pluck root and branch from out the land"
- Recitative Persian Officer: "Our souls with ardour glow"
- Chorus: "Shall we the God of Israel fear?"
- Recitative First Israelite: " Now persecution shall lay by her iron rod"
- Aria: " Tune your harps to cheerfull strains"
- Chorus: " Shall we of servitude complain"
- Aria Israelite Woman: " Praise the Lord with cheerful noise"
- Recitative Israelite Woman: " 0 God, who from the suckling's mouth"
- Aria Second Israelite: " Sing songs of praise, bow down the knee"
- Chorus: " Shall we of servitude complain"
- Recitative Priest of the Israelites: " How have our sins provoked the Lord!"
- Chorus: "Ye sons of Israel mourn"
- Aria Priest ofc The Israelites: "0 Jordan, Jordan, sacred tide"
- Chorus: "Ye sons of Israel mourn"
- Andante
- Allegro
- Adagio
- Allegro
Tracks:
- Recitative Esther/Mordecai: " Why sits that sorrow on thy brow?"
- Aria Mordecai: " Dread not, righteous Queen, the danger"
- Recitative Esther: "I go before the King to stand"
- Aria Esther: " Tears assist me, pity moving"
- Chorus: " Save us, O Lord"
- Recitative Ahasuerus/Esther: "Who dares intrude into our presence"
- Duet Esther/Ahasuerus: " Who calls my parting soul from death?"
- Aria Ahasuerus: "0 beauteous Queen, unclose those eyes!"
- Recitative Esther: " If I find favour in thy sight"
- Aria Ahasuerus: " How can I stay when love invites?"
- Recitative Third Israelite/Fourth Israelite: " With inward joy his visage glows"
- Chorus: " Virtue, truth and innocence"
- Arioso Priest of the Israelites: " Jehovah, Crown'd with glory bright"
- Chorus: " He comes, he comes to end our woes"
- Recitative Ahasuerus/Esther: " Now, a Queen, thy suit declare"
- Arioso Haman: " Turn not, a Queen, thy face away"
- Aria Esther: " Flatt' ring tongue, no more I hear thee!"
- Recitative Ahasuerus: "Guards, seize the traitor, bear him hence!"
- Aria Haman: " How art thou fall'n from thy height!"
- Chorus: "The Lord Our enemy has slain"
Album Description
Handel's oratorios vary greatly in their presentation. In many ways, Esther is a rarity;it is by far the most intimate, not surprisingly as it was composed for the Duke of Chandos. The Duke's Palladian palace near the village ofEdgware had not been completed in time for the first performance so this may have taken place (as did Acis and Galatea) in the intimate surroundings of a small church, St Lawrence, Whitchurch.We decided, therefore, that we should attempt to convey that intimacy of performance on disc; so we performed in the round with microphones in the middle, the orchestra in front of me, the choir behind and the soloists alongside. The result is everything that chamber music should be where players and singers can enjoy every aspect of Handel's masterpiece.
"The 'sound' of Esther, superbly communicated in the recorded performance here, is pure enchantment... The choral singing has an exceptional grandure, and the instrumental playing a shimmering beauty. Among the soloists, none of whom is less than accomplished, Nancy Argenta and Michael Chance dominate... Both singers affirm a new golden age of Handel interpretation".
Customer Reviews:
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME.......2007-01-26
As often with Handel, there is no fully official version of the score, and this particular score may not even be fully complete from any point of view. The libretto seems to have been the work of someone in the frivolously named association of big literary figures called the Scriblerus Club, perhaps Dr John Arbuthnot, dedicatee of Pope's great poetic Epistle, but Pope himself may have had a hand in it too. As we have it here, the work breaks into two very asymmetrical parts. Scenes 1 and 2 start with a recitative lasting only seconds from Habdonah followed by a longer one in which Haman announces his onslaught on the Israelites, and from there on feature only anonymous participants. Esther herself and the other named characters make their appearance first in scene 4, but the change of tone occurs in scene 3. At this point the music gains gravity first in the chorus Ye sons of Israel with its extraordinary modulations and then in the striking aria O Jordan, Jordan. I myself feel that this weightier tone is maintained to the end, whether or not the writer of the liner note is correct in saying that the long final chorus with solos is out of proportion to its context.
Throughout - in the first part as well as in scenes 3-6 - the instrumental writing is vivid and varied, with an extraordinary pizzicato accompaniment to Tune your harps and then an even more extraordinary obbligato from the harp itself at Praise the Lord. The harpist is no less than Jan Walters, but sometime I would like to see the score and check out what seem some odd rhythmic interactions here between her and the soloist Nancy Argenta. There are no fewer than ten vocal soloists in a work lasting a little over an hour and a quarter, and a very distinguished bunch they are. I was particularly pleased to find Michael Chance in the countertenor role of the Priest of the Israelites as I admire the strength of his tone, but there is no real weakness among them, unless Lynda Russell as Esther has a couple of very slightly awkward high notes in Flatt'ring tongue, which must be a little nerve-wracking to sing as she has to find her note for herself unaccompanied at the start and later at the reprise. You will see some big names among the instrumentalists too, with Crispian Steele-Perkins on the trumpet making a predictably fine contribution towards the end, and of course with Jan Walters in that marvellous harp part early on. The chorus gets some wonderful work to do, and rises to it fully. I really am unable to worry about the proportionateness of the final chorus when I hear that incomparable Handelian build of tone, sung by 18 singers and sounding as if there were 100.
There is a good liner note by Graydon Beeks Jr, not perhaps the last word in lucidity (neither is the plot of the libretto come to that) but worth re-reading. Harry Christophers himself contributes a short foreword largely concerned with the recording process and highlighting the contributions of Mark Brown and Mike Hatch, his long-time technical collaborators. I was interested to see also the name of Geoff Miles in a role described as `editor'. What responsibilities this involved is not stated and perhaps I ought to know without being told, but I know the work of Geoff Miles as recording engineer from elsewhere and it gave me confidence just to see that he is involved in the proceedings, and the technical work is predictably excellent.
My collection of Handel oratorios is now almost complete, and what a wonderful musical experience they are. Each is unique in its own way, but Esther is unique in some very special ways, and I suggest that you do not wait until you are my age to get to know it.
a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-04-04
This is a "small" contribution compared to many of Handel's other works. However, it is not "small" in a musical sense. There is much creativity on the part of Handel as to orchestral scoring; he exploits his small orchestra and chorus in surprising ways, introducing new vocal and instrumental colours throughout the score, adding and subtracting instruments and voices in many and varied ways. This is a listening surprise as it moves along. And what a great performance on the part of the Christophers as well as some outstanding vocal soloists. Mark Padmore's (Mordecai) aria "Tune Your Harps to Cheerful Strains" was superb as was the Duet between Lynda Russell (Esther) and Tom Randle (Ahasuerus).But the aria that really drew me into the entire drama was sung by Michael Chance (Priest) "O Jordan, Jordan, sacred Tide." It was perfection itself!!!!The Chorus was extremely good and dictionally perfect. It is a great listening experience.
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Symphony 9: Introduction to Dvorak
Dvorak Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000069HGK Release Date: 2002-09-17 |
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Instrumental Action Soul
The Diplomats of Solid Soul Manufacturer: Hammondbeat Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000BHN7FM Release Date: 2005-10-11 |
Tracks:
- Hugh's Hefner
- Cookie Time
- Willie's Theme
- Bullfrog Boogaloo
- El Corazon Negro
- Chinese Connection
- Stoned Preacher
- Hot Stick
- Soul Slaw
- Mobley Turnaround
- Tennessee Toothpick
- Soul Beat Pt.2
- The Men from S.C.E.P.T.E.R. Theme
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Down That Road
Green and Root Manufacturer: Cozy Goat Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0007ORY08 Release Date: 2004-03-01 |
Tracks:
- Down That Road
- Home
- Marrying You
- Cottonwood
- Lift My Head
- Lavender Bowers
- Ronnie
- When We Cry
- Not So Thick
- Naivete'
Album Description
THE ALBUMDown That Road is a storybook of diverse subject matter expressed with delicate mastery. The sometimes spare, sometimes full production cradles themes of creativity, marriage, spirituality and death. The album plays earthy and intimate, sometimes vulnerable with Green's own unique rhythmic guitar style as the foundation. The album is impressively self produced with a variety of mainly acoustic instruments, including cello, piano, harmonium, slide guitar, accordion, pedal steel, flugelhorn, wurlitzer, stand up bass and drums. Each song features Green's unforgettable soprano voice which navigates through the thoughtful and heartbreaking lyrics with Root's lush harmonies filling out the sound.
When conceiving this album, Green and Root wanted to make a CD that spoke to the issues which concerned them, things they talked about late at night or on the road, the things that made them crazy. They wanted to make a difference in the world somehow with their music. They strove to move away from songs about love and heartbreak, but what emerged taught them that love and heartbreak are inseparable from the human journey. The new songs broaden the notion of who we are in relationship with. Now the relationships are not just with a lover, but with oneself, one's mother, the muse, a friend, a neighbor, the natural environment and its spirit.
Little did they know that in the middle of this project, the most traumatic and difficult thing Green had yet faced in her life would occur: her fit and active mother was diagnosed with and eventually taken by cancer. Through this awful tragedy, they recorded two new songs about Green's experience with her Mom's illness and death, "Lift My Head" and "Down That Road."
The line "I told you that I'd be ok, I'll take my first step down that road" popped out and seemed to speak for many of the experiences Green and Root have been through, leading "Down That Road" to become the title track. These include their experience of 9/11, the steady decline of the environment, and their own personal journeys of healing through grief, as well as through love and marriage.
The writing on this album is credited to Green yet Root's feedback and editing are essential to Green's writing process. They describe their songs as "biographical pep talks" because "that's what it feels like when we're singing them." These songs are born from an aching place in the heart making them an accessible expression of the collective universal experience. With its potent blend of fresh and memorable songs, this album forges a path that gives us some insight into the struggles and triumphs of our lives. The going is not always easy or the path clear, but take a first step we must, Down That Road.
Customer Reviews:
So incredible........2005-12-15
Folky but not in the least hokey. Can't wait for their next one.
I love this CD.......2005-03-06
I get the goosebumps throughout the CD. Green's voice really communicates the heart of each of the songs, and her guitar keeps the pulse strong.
A very nice production. It is an acoustic guitar driven mix of folk, pop, and rock. The songs are real and they feel it. The lyrics...the songwriting is the tops, really. Just listen to any of the songs and you will see for yourself.
To top it off, I saw her perform. Every bit as good.
This is a CD I pull out and play often.
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Willan: Apostrophe to the Heavenly Hosts; Magnificat
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00000DNFS Release Date: 1995-11-14 |
Customer Reviews:
Spectacular performances and recording..........2006-12-27
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Screamin' Down The Valley
High Range Manufacturer: Rural Root ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000058EJY Release Date: 2000-07-08 |
Tracks:
- Sherry Netherland
- One More Cast
- 5 Days In Texas
- Waterloo
- In Between
- Breakfast at 3am
- Grand Banks
- Another Life
- Garbage Man
- Come Lie Down
- 1 On 1
- Let It Ring
- Fire In The Hole
Album Description
Rural Root Records is an independent label representing new acoustic and roots rock music artists.
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Root Down
Jimmy Smith Manufacturer: Verve International ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000GUK5S6 Release Date: 2006-10-09 |
Tracks:
- Sagg Shootin' His Arrow
- For Everyone Under the Sun
- After Hours
- Root Down (And Get It)
- Let's Stay Together
- Slow Down Sagg
Pop Music:
- 'Round About Midnight [Original recording remastered] [Special Edition]
- Sapphire Blue
- Smokin' at the Half Note [Live]
- Smooth Jazz at Midnight
- Soul Station [Original recording remastered]
- Spread Love Like Wildfire
- Straight, No Chaser [Enhanced]
- Sunday at the Village Vanguard [Live]
- Tears of Joy
- Tenor Madness
